Tongue switch for girder rails



May 6 1924.

. N. ELSALSICH- TONGUE SWITCH FOR GIRDER RA ILS Filed Nov. 5 1922 Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES NEIL E. SALSICH, 0E BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGUE SWITCH non Gianna RAILS.

Application filed November 3, 1922. SerialNo. 598,895.

To all 20 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, NEIL E. SALSIGH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue Switches for Girder Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tongue switches for street railways and constitutes an improvement on the type of switch disclosed in the patent to E. Lewis, No. 869,580, granted OCtO-i ber 20, 1907. It includes means for efficiently holding the switch tongue in proper working position in its relations to other parts, which means is adjustable to compensate for wear and take up lost motion, and which also performs the function of a holding down 'device for the tongue. In the use of switches of this type heretofore made designed to serve the purposes indicated, difliculty has been encountered in removing the tongue of the switch, as is often required. That dif- .'ficulty has been caused largely by the collection of dirt and foreign matter in the recesses in the vicinity of the tongue pivot obstructing the necessary access to and movement of parts to release the switch, which in turn was partly due to the structural arrangement which permitted this collection at points where it would interfere with the release movements necessary. An other defect in this type of device was that it was necessary in effecting the release to move or operate a number of parts, some of which were not easily accessible for the purpose. The present invention is designed to secure all of the desirable functions andadvantages above indicated while avoiding the defects and making the release and removal of the switch tongue a very simple and easily performed operation. In the. specific embodiment shown for purposes of illustration. the movement of a single unobstructed easily accessible and easily operated member will release the switch tongue and permit it to be removed. The novel features will be more fully understood from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3' is a horizontal section on the line 3-3-of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 44; of Figure 1, partly broken away, and

Figure 5 is a similar View on the line 5-5 of Figure 1. l i

As shown in the drawings, the base 10 of the switch section has a horizontal floor 11. The track rail 12 rises from one side of the floor and extends longitudinally of thebase, and the guard rail 13 rises from the other side of the floor and also extends longitudinally of the floor, a'switch tongue 14: rests on the floor between the track rail 12 and guard rail 13, and its point is movable from the guard rail to contact with the track rail. The heel end of the tongue is semicylindrical in horizontal section and abuts the end of an elevated part 1-5 of base 10 and fits in a semi-cylindrical depression in that 'end' with the upper surface of the tongue and elevated portion in the same horizontal plane. It will be understood that a diverging track rail joins said elevated portion 15 between track rail 12 and guard rail 13. At the heel end of the'tongue there is a downwardly extending pivot pin 16 of a diameter about equal'tothe width of the tongue on' the line of said: pin, and its outer surface is in the same vertical lines as thesemicylindrical heel end of the tongue. The pin is cylindrical in form except that a portion 17 around the periphery subtended'by an angle of about ninety degrees is made tapering inwardly and upwardly from the bottom as will be seen by reference to Figures '3 and 5. The base 10 of the switch is provided at the heel end of the tongue with a socket 18 to receive the pin 16 when moved vertically down into it, the said socket having a continuous semi-cylindrical wall corresponding with and in the same vertical lines as said semi-cylindrical depression inthe end of part 15." The walls of this se1ni-cylindrical portion of the socket are recessed to a substantially uniform depth opposite the downwardly extending pin 16 from approximately the plane of the floor to the bottom of the socket, and the recess is then filled with a lining of antifriction composition 19, such as Babbitt metal, keystone shaped extensions from the recess being provided to securely lock the lining in place. The base of the socket is also recessed throughout the circular part below the pin and the ant1-' friction composition or Babbitt metal is also placed in this recess, preferably at the same time and in one integral body. A steel disk 20 is embedded in the composition at the bottom of the socket up to itsupper exposed surface which acts as a supporting bearing for the end of pin 16. The pin socket 18 is expanded laterally and longitudinally towards the point of the tonguebelow floor 11 of the base from a transverse plane approximately through the center of the pin to the oppositely inclined faces 22 of a transverse vertical wall, laterally on the track rail side to a side wall and on the guard rail side to a side opening 21 extending throughout its ength and of full height.

Within the recess formed by the extension from the socket there are two blocks 23 and 24 on opposite sides of the center line of the tongue and pin, each having an inclined face coinciding and making contact with an inclined face 22. The block 28 is in the closed or track rail part of the socket extension or recess and has a vertical semi-cylindrical surface at the corner facing the pin adapted to fit and bear against a cylindrical part of the pin to aid in moving it longitudinally to compensate for wear, but permitting upward movement of the pin while in contact. The block 24 extends laterally into the socket extension or recess through the side opening 21 and has a portion at its corner next to the pins semi-circular in horizontal section but tapering from its bottom outwardly and upwardly and adapted to fit the tapered portion 17 of the pin. A. bolt 25 extends through blocks 23 and 24 from its head countersunk in block 28 to a screw threaded end projecting from block 24 on the exterior of the socket, and is provided with nuts and washers. 24 and the screw threaded end of the bolt and its operating nuts and washers project laterally beyond the side walls of the socket and extension thereof even when in operative position, and as shown in Figure 1 there is a recess or open top chamber 26 into which they extend. This chamber is suliiciently large to permit a tool to be easily inserted and applied to the nut to turn it, and it may be provided with a removable cover.

In operation when the nut on bolt 25 is turned 1 to shorten the connection between blocks 2324 and draw them together, their inclined faces sliding' on the inclined surfaces 22 will cause them to move longitudinally towards the pivot pin 16 and force that pin into close contact with its bearing socket, and will thus take up any lost motion resulting from wear or other causes. It will be noted that block 24 cannot move upwardly because of the fixed floor portion 11 of the base 10 immediately above it, and that its inward movement is in a fixed path on a line parallel to its contact surface 22.

It will be noted that the end of block The vertically reversely tapered contact surfaces of block 24 and pin 16 therefore when in contact prevent any upward movement of the pin or the integral tongue, and longitudinal pressure of block 24 against the pin tends to force the pin down against its seat and the tongue against the floor. One important feature of the invention is that block 24 is the only element engaging the pin or tongue which acts to hold it down, and thus to release the tongue for removal by upward movement of the pin it is not necessary to move any part save block 24, and a slight movement .of that block outward will be sufficient. All that is necessary is that the vertical lines at the margin of its tapered portion nearest the pin shall not pass through the tapered surface of the pin so that the tapered surfaces will no longer interlock but will be Vertically clear of each other. This movement of block 24 is easily accomplished even where dirt and outside matter has collected in the way, since said foreign matter may be removed through the open top of recess or chamber 26 and a tool may then be inserted and the nuts and washers on bolt 25 removed and then the end of a tool or implement may be inserted in the slot under the easily accessible lip 27 and the block positively passed outward by a prizing action if necessary. It is not necessary to move block 23, since the automatic loosening of its contact with thepin caused by unscrewing the nuts and moving 24 will be sufficient to permit the tongue and pin to be raised.

Although on specific embodiment of the invention is shown, it is not limited to that particular form beyond what the claims call Having thus described the invention, What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 1

1. In a tongue switch the combination of a base member having a socket therein having a cylindrical wall at one side and being provided with a transversely-extending recess having an open end at one side of the member, communicating with the socket and having a back wall which inclines outwardly toward the open end, a tongue having a pivot pin provided with a cylindrical surface portion co-operating with the cylindrical surface of the socket and a surface portion which is inclined and diverges downwardly, a block in the recess having inclined surface portions fitting the inclined back wall ofthe transverse recess and the inclined surface portion of the pin, a bolt extending transversely of the recess and passing through the block, and nut means carried by the bolt, cooperating with the outer side of the block, and accessible laterally of the member, whereby the block may be readily displaced for removal. of the pivot pin and readily moved back into normal position to hold the pivot pin in place.

2. In a tongue switch, the combination with a base having a socket therein of a tongue having a. pivot pin entering said socket at one end in engagement with a semi-cylindrical bearing surface thereof, means in the socket in advance of the pin for taking up lost motion of said pin comprising two blocks, one of which is within the socket in front of the pin and has a cylindrical surface engaging a corresponding cylindrical surface of the pin, and the other block movable into the socket through the side opposite to the first block and having a contact surface engaging. a cooperating surface of the pin so shaped as to hold down and prevent upward movement of the pin when said block reaches the limit of its inward movement, and means for causing the inward movement of said block and a simultaneous longitudinahmovement towards the pin.

3. In a tongue switch, the combination with a base provided with a floor for the tongue and having a pin socket at one end of the floor, the facing wall of the socket being semi-cylindrical in horizontal section, of a tongue having a heel end semi-cylindrical in horizontal section and a clownwardly extending pin at the heel end with its corresponding surface in the vertical lines of said heel end in said socket fitting the semi-cylindrical wall, a member mlovable in a fixed path inwardly through an open side of said socket into engagement with said pin on the tongue point side, the meeting surfaces being such that its pressure contact will tend to move said pin horizontally taking up lost motion in its bearing and simultaneously preventing upward movement of the pin in the socket, and a second member in' said socket engaging said pin at a point removed around the periphery from the first member and cooperating with said first member to cause horizontal movement taking up lost motion, the contact surfaces between the last memher and pin being such as to permit upward movement of the in.

4. In a tongue switch, the combination with a base having a socket thereon of a tongue having a pivot pin entering said socket at one end in engagement with a semi-cylindrical bearing surface thereof, the exposed part of the pin facing the open space in the socket being tapered on one side of the center line of the tongue and pin, and being of vertical cylindrical form on the other side of said line, a wedge 'block in said socket making contact with an inclined wall of said socket and having a semi-cylindrical vertical surface in contact with the cylindrical portion of said pin,

a second wedge block entering said socket from theside opposite said first block making contact along one edge with an inclined wall of the socket and at the opposite edge I 5. In a tongue switch, the combination with a base provided with a floor for the tongue and having at one end of the floor a pin vsocket extending downwardly below the floor, that portion of the base and socket wall opposite the end of the floor being semicylindrical on vertical lines, and the socket being expanded laterally and longitudinally towards the point of the switch below the floor and having an open side, a pair of wedge blocks below the floor in the socket in advance of the pin and on opposite sides of the center longitudinal line, one blocl; having vertical cylindrical engegement with the pin, and the other wedge block extending beyond and movable laterally through the open side of the socket having vertically' tapering contact engagement, with the pin, means for operatively adjusting said blocks in the socket and means at the exposed end of the second mentioned block outside of the socket for engaging it for removal.

6. In a tongue switch, the combination with a base provided with a floor for the tongue and a downwardly extending pin socket at the end of the floor, those portions of the base above and in the socket opposite the end of the floor having semi cylindrical surfaces extending vertically, of a tongue having a pin at its heel end extending downwardly into said socket and making contact with the semi-cylindrical surface of the socket, the base of the socket below the pin and that part of the walls of the semi-circular extension opposite the downwardly extending pin being recessed and filled with an "antifriction composition lining analogous to Babbitt metal, and a steel bearing plate for the lower end of said pin embedded in said composition, and means in said socket cooperating with said pin to take up lost motion.

7. In a tongue switch, the combination of a base member having a vertical socket provided with a cylindrical surface portion at one side and having a transverse recess communicating with the socket and having an open end at one side of the member, a

tongue having a pivot pin provided with a I blocks in the recess having inclined surface portions fitting the inclined Wall portions of the recess and having. surface portions fitting said pin, one of the blocks having a 5 surface portion which overhangs a surface portion on the pivot pin, and a bolt eX- tending transversely of the recess and passing through both of the blocks, and nut means carried by the bolt and accessible laterally of the member. v 10 In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

NEIL E; SALSICH. 

